Why Finals rematch isn't a disaster for NBA

Cavaliers-Warriors is the NBA Finals matchup analysts predicted at the start of the season, and though it seemed unlikely at times that LeBron could carry his team or that the Warriors could overcome the Rockets, both the Cavs and Warriors pulled through for a fourth consecutive year.

Even if the series is predictable, it's not the disaster for the NBA some fans and analysts are making it out to be. We've been hearing for years that the Warriors' dominance has trivialized the season and that Kevin Durant has ruined the NBA, but people are still tuning in.

Although a Rockets-Cavaliers matchup may have been more interesting, it's likely that at least 20 million fans will watch Thursday evening to see if LeBron can carry his team against the Warriors' squad of future Hall of Famers.

You might be tired of Cavs-Warriors, but the two teams have delivered a trio of NBA Finals that have been the most watched series in the last two decades.

Finals ratings spiked significantly in 2015, a year after the Spurs dominated the Heat, when LeBron James led the Cavs to the finals in 2015. At the time, Cavs vs. Warriors I had the highest average viewership of any Finals matchup since Michael Jordan's last year in Chicago. Even more people watched in 2016 and 2017.

Viewership has remained consistent for each chapter of the Cavs-Warriors saga, and Game 7 of the 2016 Finals drew 31 million viewers, making it the third-most watched game since 1987 (behind two Jordan series-clinchers).

LeBron's Cavs may be huge underdogs and the Warriors may win in a sweep, but that doesn't mean no one will watch the games.